About Me

Ceri

Film Buff; Obsessive Reader; Aspiring Critic.
This blog chronicles the books I read, the films I watch, the artists who inspire me, the subjects that ignite my passion, and anything else that comes my way.

Reading Challenges

Monday, 30 November 2009

I'm not going to make a huge deal of this. I saw New Moon over the weekend and I thought it was better than Twilight but not great. Kind of like the way I felt about the books.

I'm still Team Jacob if I have to pick a team. But that's pretty much it.

My feelings can be pretty much summed up here where Lainey from Lainey Gossip hits the nail on the head.

It's just my opinion. That doesn't take away the fact that you might have loved it. Good for you. :D

I like Robert Pattinson. I just don't like Twilight. From what I understand, he auditioned for something he knew nothing about, couldn't predict the outcome, and is now in a contract he'll never be able to get out of. (His lack of enthusiasm for the books during promotional interviews say a lot about how he feels about the series.)

Oh yeah, Edward and Bella's relationship has officially been declared abusive according to the National Domestic Violence hotline. Everything it lists as a cause for concern happens in the series. Check it out here. It's a must-see.

But, yeah, I'm looking forward to his next film, Remember Me. I read the script before he was cast and, if they haven't made any changes to the story, this should be an incredible film.

Sunday, 29 November 2009

The same principles as her original GLBT Reading Challenge apply but this time this challenge runs for the whole year round and has three basic levels of participation.

Rules/Guidelines:

The basic idea of this challenge is to read books about GLBT topics and/or by GLBT authors.

The challenge runs year-round, and there will be three levels of participation:

Lambda Level: Read 4 books.

Pink Triangle Level: Read 8 books.

Rainbow Level: Read 12 or more books.

You don't need to choose your books right away, and they can change at any time. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.

There's a reason I've been sucking at my reading challenges: At the beginning of 2009, I decided to challenge myself to read 50 books for the year (not a great amount compared to how many most of you get through). It's the last week of November and I've read 44 books so far. These last 4 weeks mean I really have to knuckle down and get six more books out of the way.

That's the reason I know I won't be able to complete Amanda's original GLBT Challenge.

Next year, I'll be challenge free, so I'm willing to give this one a go. :D

And I'll be determined to do well in it so I'm going to go for the Pink Triangle Level: Read 8 books.

I haven't decided which 8 books I'll be reading yet but this is where I'll keep a record of them:

1) Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed by Abby Lee2) My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman3)4)5)6)7)8)

Yay! Good luck everyone who decides to join in on this. :D

(P.S. - Amanda, I'm sorry. I had a brain fart and signed up for this challenge via Mr. Linky without posting a direct link to this post. I suck at life. :S )

Saturday, 28 November 2009

- Don't let your first love stop you from doing everything you always wanted to - He's your first love; Not your last.

- Becoming more confident with people is great; Just don't let it get the better of you. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance.

- On that note, Buy black eyeliner.The moment you start using it, your confidence will soar.

- Stop listening to pop music and don't get so worked up because your favourite boybands are splitting up.In five years time, you won't give a shit and will be listening to real music like The Sex Pistols, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, David Bowie, and The Rolling Stones.

- Not being afraid to do something different than your friends is a good thing.Keep this up. :)

- Please try and smile more. And don't take yourself so seriously.It's harder to start turning things around when you're in your twenties.

- You're a big dork.Don't worry; it's more fun that way. :D

- Keep drinking all the water you've started chugging down.Having that rather than fizzy pop is going to help you drop two dress sizes.

- DON'T tell people you barely know your deepest darkest secrets. It comes back to bite you on the arse - several times.

- Teachers aren't always right.They're human too, just like you. The sooner you realise this, the better. Otherwise you'll end up having a huge problem with authority at the age of 22.

- You'll find yourself straddling two worlds when you go to university.Keep wanting more for yourself and striving to achieve your goals but never think you're better than others.

- The first person you meet in college will change your life and become one of the best friends you've ever had.She'll be the ying to your yang. Don't let go of her.

(If you could give advice/write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?)

Friday, 20 November 2009

Yeah, so my blog has been pretty dead for the last month or so. Starting a new job has really impacted on how much free time I have and how tired I am. Usually by the time I sit down to look at my Google Reader, I get through six or seven and then feel too tired to carry on.

But, don't worry. I'm here to tell you, I'm back.

And I deeply apologise for not replying to comments lately, and not visiting your blogs.

I'm getting on top of that asap as I have this whole weekend off and am going to have a fabulous time relaxing and doing whatever the hell I want. :D

Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up - Yay!

Are you all looking forward to it? I am. Though I have yet to start my Christmas shopping (yikes!). Better get on that one.

Anyway, the point of this post was to say Hellooo everyone. I have returned from my 'hiatus' of sorts and I shall be reviewing and visiting and interacting more. :) Missed talking to y'all.

Saturday, 14 November 2009

Plot: Samantha Sweeting as at the top of her game. About to be made partner for the law firm she's been working at for the last seven years, she feels as though she has it all. However, when a simple mistake costs her £5 million of her client's money, she runs away and catches the nearest train to anywhere.

Still in a state of shock, she finds herself at the front door of a rich couple who mistake her for an interviewee and hire her to be their new housekeeper. The problem is that Samantha doesn't know how to sew a button, turn on the oven, dust a counter, or even get the ironing board to open.

Samantha soon realises that she must make a choice: Adapt to her new life or return to face the mistakes she's hiding from.

Review: I needed a book like this. After months of reading stories that I enjoyed but really made you think about important issues and hidden meanings, I needed a story I could just dive right into and flat-out enjoy.

I'd never read anything by Kinsella and haven't really picked up a lot of chick lit since uni, but this had been sitting on my TBR since by college days and I knew that if I wanted to pick up a better pace in trying to complete my 50 book challenge I'd need something I didn't need to think too much about. I was wrong!

Once I got into this story I couldn't put it down. It definitely didn't leave my mind and I was constantly wondering how it was going to end. It was everything I could have asked for - romance, laughter, and a bit of drama.

I understood Samantha's determination to do well in her career and her utter panic at having the world falling down on her shoulders. She was a likeable character; So was Nathaniel. Even Mr and Mrs Geiger, who were quite caricature based, were fun to read about.

Light but not too fluffy and a really interesting and gripping read. Thank you, Sophie Kinsella, for putting my mind at ease.